X-Men: Children of the Atom
by Courier999
Summary: The X-Men: a beacon of hope for all mutants or a torch with which to burn them to ashes? Who are they anyways? And what does a certain blond hacker have to do with them? All will be revealed. Set in the same universe as "Spider-Man: Partners in Crime". Rated T for violence, language, and scary content. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

X-MEN: Children of the Atom

_X-Men_ is property of Marvel Comics. This is set in the same universe as _Spider-Man: Partners in Crime_.

Chapter 1: Man and Superman

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA:

"Slag! That was top-of-the line!"

The young man turned to his yellow-longcoated female companion.

"Joel, I'm so so sorry about your comp-"

"Jubilee, we're done! It was annoying when you turned my phone into an overpriced brick-"

Jubilee watched as her ex-boyfriend started ranting like a deranged Jack Nicholson.

"They're right about you. Slaggin' genejokes like you shouldn't be walking the streets!"

Just then, the door opened, and Jubilee's parents walked in.

"What's going on up here?" her father asked.

Joel stormed out in a huff.

"Jubilee, was that-"

"Yeah." she whimpered before leaving.

Just then, there was a curt knock on the front door.

"I'll get it." Mrs. Lee announced.

As she descended the carpeted stairs, her heart and mind raced as she thought about who was at the door.

"Hello the-" she began upon opening the door.

Looming before her were two men in business casual outfits.

"Is this the Lee residence?" one of them asked.

"Yes."

"I'm James Walker. I represent a non-profit think tank called the Ubermensch Foundation."

"What's that got to do with us?"

"The Ubermensch Foundation is devoted to ending the Mutant Registration Program-"

"You didn't answer my question."

Just then, Mister Lee walked downstairs and saw the men.

"Who are they?"

"They're from some think tank."

A few minutes later, the four were seated in the Lee's parlor. Walker disinterestedly nibbled on a celery stick while his compatriot glanced out the window.

"So, this is about our daughter, isn't it?"

"Yes. In the wake of the Brotherhood of Mutants' viral media campaign, key politicians have been given the ammunition needed to increase the power of such measures as the Mutant Registration Program and its corollaries."

"You mean-"

"The Sentinels? Yes."

Meanwhile, Jubilee was waiting in the house's back garden when she noticed a large humanoid form descend from the heavens. Before she could react, the form shot two carbon fiber cables out of its arms and drew her closer.

"HELP!"

The Lees and Walker and his compatriot raced out the back door and saw Jubilee in the grasp of a Sentinel.

"Do something!" Mister Lee shouted.

Walker grabbed his phone and made a quick call.

"Summers, we've got a Sentinel here in L.A. Just grabbed a kid by the name of Jubilation Lee, Jubilee for short. If you've got anyone in the Beverly Hills area-"

Walker's eyes went wide.

"Le Beau, Kellogg, and Munroe are at the Hollywood Mall?"

"_Mon chéri_, there is more!"

Rogue stared at her Cajun companion known as Gambit.

"Can you be a little more quiet?"

A black woman cleared her throat.

"Penny for your thoughts, Storm."

"If you two would cease your petty bickering for a few minutes-"

Just then, Rogue's phone rang.

"Hello, Ann-Marie Kellogg speaking."

"_Kellogg, there's a Sentinel heading your way. This time, don't destroy everything in sight_."

As if on cue, the Sentinel homed in on the three new mutant signatures coming from the Hollywood Mall and dove in through the skylight nearest to them.

"Where do they keep getting these things?"

"If it is any consolation, Gambit, I am sure they will scrap the program when they realize that they keeping losing Sentinels!"

Storm cleared her throat.

"Power of lightning, strike down this automaton!"

Almost immediately, a bolt of lightning fell from the heavens and hit the Sentinel, causing it to release Jubilee, who then grabbed onto a balcony ledge.

"Shouldn't have worn gloves today!" she shrieked as her grip loosened.

Rogue flew in and grabbed the young woman before she fell.

"Who are you?"

Rogue stared at her newfound ward, a look of irritation in her eyes. Suddenly, a boomerang flew through the air, glowing a dull pink as it did so. When it hit the Sentinel, the explosion left a small crater in the side of its head.

"Is it over?" Jubilee asked.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Farewell

"_With the Hollywood Mall in ruins, the press has this to say: where were the X-Men this time?_"

Walker turned off the television set.

"Figures that they wouldn't have known it was you guys unless you brought somebody else along."

"Somehow, I find it difficult to believe that Wolverine would willingly come here." Storm deadpanned.

Jubilee rolled her eyes and looked around the parlor. Before her were three of the X-Men, her parents, and a representative of some weird think tank.

"So, what's the deal? Can we just go back to normal now?"

"How long did you know that your daughter had an active X-Gene?" Walker asked.

"Two, maybe three years." Mister Lee answered.

"Did you sign her up with the Mutant Registration Board?"

"Yes." Mrs. Lee answered, sniffling.

"Is there anything we can do to make sure she's safe?"

"Wait for the Sentinel program to be scrapped." Gambit snarked.

"Xavier's." was Walker's response.

Jubilee tilted her head.

"Xavier's School for the Gifted. It's a private school up in New York state. Most of the students are mutants, and those who aren't are some of the best students in the country."

An awkward pause settled over the room.

"I'll go."

Jubilee's parents turned to their daughter in surprise.

"I promise I'll write."

Mister Lee sighed as Walker produced the paperwork from his briefcase.

"Welcome to Xavier's School for the Gifted, Jubilee."


	3. Welcome To Xavier's- Part 1

Chapter 3: Welcome to Xavier's, Part 1

The next night, Jubilee heard a curt knock on her door.

"Who is it?"

James Walker entered the room.

"Jubilee, your new life's waiting. Grab your stuff and let's go."

Jubilee sighed as she grabbed her suitcase and left the house. Walker's car was idling on the curb.

"So now what?" Jubilee asked as the car drove out of the city limits.

"We're being picked up."

"Out all the way in the desert?"

"With that aircraft, it's a necessity."

A few minutes later, the aircraft materialized out of thin air.

"Wait, how'd you get a Blackbird? I thought those things were decommissioned-"

"It's not a Blackbird. It's the X-Men's private jet."

"Still looks like a Blackbird to me. And how'd you get so deep with the X-Men anyways?"

Walker took a deep breath.

"Long story short, Xavier's School for the Gifted is one of our biggest funders, especially Professor Xavier himself. As such, I'm on a sort of deal with the X-Men. Got that?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

The two got out of the car and boarded the X-Jet.

"Summers, tell the local chapter where their car is." Walker ordered upon entering the plane.

"_Got it, Jimmy_." the pilot announced over the intercom.

In the passenger compartment, Jubilee flopped into her seat.

"So, happy with how everything's going?" Walker asked.

"Does a mall baby eat chilli fries?" Jubilee replied.

"I'm not even going to pretend to know what that means."

A seat belts sign flashed and the two passengers did so. Walker clutched onto the armrests like it was a habit. Suddenly, a resounding roar echoed through the aircraft as its VTOL engines kicked in and lifted it off the ground.


	4. Welcome To Xavier's- Part 2

Chapter 4: Welcome to Xavier's, Part 2

Roughly 90 minutes later, the X-Jet landed at its base of operations underneath the Xavier School for the Gifted. The passenger ramp extended, and those onboard soon exited the vehicle and entered its hangar. Jubilee lowered her sunglasses upon being met by the harsh fluorescent light of the hangar.

"So, you're the new arrival." a man announced.

Jubilee turned and saw a bald-headed man in a wheelchair approach her.

"Who are you?"

"Professor Charles Xavier, headmaster of this institution and leader of the X-Men."

"Nice to know, but I was told that I needed to set up shop somewhere…"

"Dormitory 3, floor 2, room 6." Xavier replied.

And with that, he rolled out of the hangar, leaving Jubilee to collect her luggage.

"Some help he was…"

About two hours later, Jubilee approached the dormitory where she would be staying. A small grin materialized as she thought about her new life at Xavier's.

_At least I'm not the only mutant here_.

Fifteen minutes later, she arrived at her room and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Jubilee found herself staring at a blond girl wearing tortoiseshell glasses.

"Who are you?" she asked her newfound roommate.

The blond girl extended her hand.

"Gwen Stacy." she answered.

"Jubilation Lee, but people call me Jubilee."

"Will do." Gwen replied.

And with that, Gwen grabbed Jubilee's suitcase and carried it in.

"Trust me, you're not the only one who was in for a surprise today." she muttered as she set the suitcase down.

"Who else?"

Just then, a brunette girl phased through the wall, clad in little more than a towel.

"Gwen, we're out of soap again."

"Kitty, would it hurt to put a robe on next time?"

Jubilee raised an eyebrow.

"Allow me to introduce you two. Jubilee, meet Katherine Pryde, or Kitty Pryde for short. Kitty, meet Jubilee."

The two girls shook hands.

"So, you're our new roommate?" Kitty piped up.

"I guess…"

Gwen turned to Kitty with a look of irritation in her eye.

"So, I take it you're mutants too?" Jubilee asked.

"Kitty is, I'm not." Gwen answered.

Jubilee gave a small smile as she began to unpack.


	5. Meet the Brotherhood

Chapter 5: Meet the Brotherhood

SOMEWHERE OFF THE PACIFIC COAST OF CANADA:

"Periscope down!"

"All hands, prepare to dive, dive, dive!"

At their console stations, two men watched as the submarine dove deeper and deeper.

"So, what's the score on the Canadians-Goldeyes game, Jack?"

"I dunno, Neil. You know how the boss is about outside transmissions."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't see why they're so paranoid, even if they are mutants-"

At that moment, Neil found himself looking at a pair of very sharp admantium claws.

"We mutants are the next glorious step in humanity's evolution! Surely a baseball game is not more important than _ensuring the survival of all mutant kind_!"

At that moment, a blue-skinned redhead walked in.

"Oyama, put down the poor man. You know how he doesn't like us to go through our fellows-in-arms."

"Mystique, you are a coward! Magneto is old and frail! I could eviscerate him faster than you could blink!"

As if on cue, an elderly man in a crimson longcoat and an odd helmet emerged from the submarine's lower decks.

"Lady Deathstrike, I command you to put down our friend. He is of too much use to us."

"Make me, Magneto."

Magneto waved his hands and retracted Lady Deathstrike's claws.

"Point made."

With that, Lady Deathstrike dropped Neil to the floor.

"Mister Lehnsherr, sir!" he exclaimed upon regaining his footing.

"So…Neil, is it? I'm still trying to learn your names."

"It is Neil, sir."

"Good. Anyways, how long until we make landfall?"

"It'll be a few days before we hit Tijuana, if that's what you mean."

"It is."


	6. First Class- Part 1

Chapter 6: First Class, Part 1

Back at Xavier's, Jubilee was sleeping peacefully when she felt someone's elbow hit her side.

"Five more minutes…" she mumbled.

She looked up and saw Gwen standing nearby.

"Mornin'." she muttered.

"Good morning to you too." was Gwen's response.

Jubilee looked at the nearby calendar. Saturday, March 15.

"So, now what?" she asked upon getting out of bed.

Just then, the ham radio near the window went off. Jubilee began to walk towards it, but Gwen got there first.

"This thing doesn't work half-"

Suddenly, a message began to emerge from the static.

"_F-f-f-Friends, m-m-m-mutants-_"

Gwen adjusted the frequency, and the message became clearer.

"_Friends, mutants, countrymen, lend me your ears. Today marks the sixth anniversary of the Mutant Registration Act, and the fifth of the Sentinel program. Today marks the day when we shall have no more of this. Rise up, and aid the Brotherhood as we send our dear friends in Tijuana a message-_"

Gwen turned off the radio and turned to Kitty and Jubilee.

"Kitty, get this to the professor. Jubilee, you go with her."

The two nodded and left.


	7. First Class- Part 2

Chapter 7: First Class, Part 2

"So, who do we have to thank for this advance warning?" Professor Xavier asked.

"Friend of mine." Kitty answered.

Jubilee raised her hand.

"Roommate of ours. Gwen Stacy."

The others stared at Jubilee as if she had said something wrong.

"What?"

"For one thing, your friend might have gotten it wrong. The Brotherhood's not above using misdirection-" Cyclops began.

"But if I know the Brotherhood, they're banking on us thinking that it's a decoy." Professor Xavier interjected.

Cyclops shrugged his shoulders.

"Guess we're going to Tijuana."

Jubilee and Kitty looked at each other and followed the team out. As they left, Professor Xavier laid a tablet on his lap.

"So, they're making their move. Lucky us that an old friend was last seen there…"


	8. First Class- Part 3

Chapter 8: First Class, Part 3

OFF THE COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA:

Mystique stared at her reflection in the mirror before shapeshifting into a Mexican _federal_e. Just then, she heard a knock on her door.

"Enter."

The door opened and Lady Deathstrike walked in.

"We are ready to move."

"Excellent. Tell Pyro that we'll meet him at the rendezvous point."

Lady Deathstrike nodded as she left.

TIJUANA, MEXICO:

"_Señor_ Logan, it is late." the bartender announced.

Logan stared at the untouched glass of the local liquor before looking up.

"How late?"

"It is 9:00. P.M."

"Slow night, huh?"

The bartender nodded.

"Ya know, this reminds me of the last time I was in Mexico, back during the hunt for Pancho Villa."

The bartender cleared his throat.

"If you got something to say, Juan-"

"_Señor_ Logan-"

Suddenly, the cantina's door was kicked down and another man barged in. Flames swirled around his fingertips.

"'ello, old bean. Remember me?"

Logan turned to face the intruder.

"Pyro."

"Yeah, you remember me! Now, how's about we have a rematch?"

Logan flicked his wrists and metal claws shot out of his knuckles.

"Yeah, that's the spirit, Wolverine! Let 'er rip!"

Wolverine ran up to Pyro and prepared to slash him up when somebody else arrived.

"_Federales! Las manos donde pueda verlas!_" the first interloper yelled, pointing a carbine rifle at Pyro.

Pyro raised his hands and put them behind his head, and the _federales_ escorted him out.

"Er-" Wolverine began, raising his receipt.

"On the house this time." the bartender replied.

Outside the bar, Pyro was loaded into an armored personnel carrier, protesting all the time.

"I have rights!" he yelled as he was shoved in.

Once inside, the lead _federal_e shape shifted into a familiar form.

"Mystique? What's with the ruse?" Pyro asked.

Another _federale_ took off a set of body armor.

"Oh, Lady Deathstrike, I presume?"

"Silence! You have spent the past 18 months gallivanting around the globe while we have been preparing for another opportunity to strike!"

"Not my problem."

One of the Brotherhood goons cleared his throat.

"You may speak, mister Hansen."

"Call me Neil."

"Fine…Neil."

"Anyways, we got Pyro, so now what?"

Lady Deathstrike handed Neil a tablet.

"This is our target."

"An OsCorp facility? What've you got with them?"

"They have something I need. A retrovirus called OZ." Mystique answered.

"What's it do?"

"It's capable of giving whoever gets infected superpowers, usually traits from whatever animals it was in first."

Neil gulped.

"Just be careful."

Just then, the flare of a landing jet lit up the sky.

"Plan B, Plan B!" Mystique yelled.

The APC swerved and made a beeline for the OsCorp facility, smashing through its gates as it approached the entrance.

"Secure the sample before they get here!"

Neil and Pyro ran into the facility.

"Who's 'they'?" Neil asked upon entering.

A laser blast lit up the facility.

"Us." a man's voice announced.

Neil and Pyro looked up and saw Cyclops emerge from the shadows.


	9. First Class- Part 4

Chapter 9: First Class, Part 4

"Didn't expect to see _you_ here after what happened in Maine." Cyclops muttered.

"Shared sentiment."

Cyclops moved quickly as he threw a punch that sent Pyro flying backwards.

"Bloody-" Pyro began after landing against a desk.

He looked up and saw Rogue staring at him.

"Judas!" he shouted as he got back on his feet.

Before Rogue could react, a blast of flame hit her and Pyro escaped into the facility with Neil.

"Who are those guys?" the latter asked.

"You _don't know_? You honestly don't know?"

"No."

"Let me use as few words as possible: they're the X-Men."

At that moment, a filing cabinet went flying at the two.

"Oh bugger- Jean Grey's here!"

As if on cue, a redhead emerged from the shadows, two more filing cabinets hovering above her.

"Shoot, you moron!" Pyro yelled at Neil.

Neil drew his pistol and took a few potshots at Jean. The filing cabinets crashed to the floor with an audible thud.

"Smooth sailing from here on out?"

"You are mistaken." a Cajun-accented voice replied.

Gambit threw himself at the two, while Storm approached from the other end of the hallway.

"Power of lightning, strike them down!" she announced.

As if on cue, a bolt of lightning landed right between the two. Before they could react, something shaped like a crowbar soared through the air, glowing a dull pink.

"Oh-"

The crowbar exploded in midair, sending Neil and Pyro toppling backwards through a newly-formed hole in the wall and into another office section.

"Can this day get any worse?"

As if on cue, Kitty Pryde emerged from the wall.

"It just got worse."

A blast of light and color rose from one of the cubicles.

"Another one?"

Neil drew his gun again and took a shot at the cubicle. Unfortunately, the shot ricocheted off the wall and hit a gas pipe in the ceiling.

"Oh-"

Pyro fired a blast of flame at the source of the blast, and the office erupted into an inferno.

"HELP ME! IT BURNS! IT BURNS! OH THE PAIN!" Neil yelped as the flames engulfed his body.

After a good 90 seconds, the sprinkler system kicked in and extinguished the conflagration.

"Oops." Pyro muttered.

Meanwhile, Mystique and Lady Deathstrike were making their way out of the facility with the OZ sample when a familiar form emerged from the shadows.

"There you are, Wolverine." Mystique snarked

Wolverine extended his claws at the two, with Lady Deathstrike doing the same.

"What's the deal with the canister?" Wolverine snarled.

Lady Deathstrike charged at her counterpart and began slashing at him. Wolverine's response was to extend his claws and slash away at her arm, exposing the cybernetics beneath the skin. While this was going on, Mystique slipped off to the APC with the OZ sample.

"Pyro, report."

"_I'm fine, but Neil's badly burnt from a gas explosion._"

"Bring him back to the vehicle."

Five minutes later, Pyro emerged from the facility with Neil slung over his shoulder.

"We'll perform surgery once we get onboard."

"Onboard what?"

Just then, Lady Deathstrike returned.

"How'd it go with Logan?" Mystique asked.

"He may be from Weapon X, but I got him with a good-old fashioned boot to the bollocks."

The APC's motor started, and the Brotherhood escaped. Outside the building, the X-Men assembled and noticed Wolverine.

"You guys are going to have a lot of explaining to do." the latter mumbled.

SOME TIME LATER:

Onboard the Brotherhood's submarine, Mystique and Lady Deathstrike were performing surgery on Neil.

"There is not much left that is salvageable." the former muttered.

Lady Deathstrike pointed to a pile of cybernetic implants.

"I say we replace what cannot be salvaged."

Mystique sighed as she began to put the implants into Neil's body, bit by bit.

"Domo arigato, Mister Roboto." she muttered as she performed the operation.


	10. Welcome To Xavier's- Part 3

Chapter 10: Welcome to Xavier's, Part 3

As the X-Jet landed at the base, Jubilee was rubbing her burnt cheeks.

"How bad is it?" Kitty Pryde asked.

"It's bad."

"No, what degree burn?"

"1st. I think."

Kitty reached out and gave Jubilee a tin of ointment as the main passenger ramp opened. Professor Xavier was waiting at the bottom of it as Cyclops approached.

"That 'Gwen Stacy' figure was right. The Brotherhood was in Tijuana." Cyclops began.

"What happened?"

"Mystique, Lady Deathstrike, and Pyro hit an OsCorp facility. Apart from that, I don't really know."

Wolverine was the next to descend the ramp.

"They were after something, and they got it. Some kind of canister."

Professor Xavier went stiff as a ramrod.

"Logan? You're-you're-"

"Back? Yeah, I am, and I want to know why you didn't go looking for the old team."

"Logan, the team hasn't-"

"Where are Polaris and Morph?"

Professor X was taken aback.

"I don't know, Logan."

"Now you know why I left."

And with that, Wolverine walked away as the rest of the team left the X-Jet.

"So, how was Tijuana?" Gwen asked as Kitty and Jubilee entered the room.

"How'd you know we went there?"

"Just a hunch."

A long pause ensued.

"So, showers?"

A thick cloud of steam rose as the trio showered, with Jubilee rubbing the burn ointment all over her face.

"You actually saw the Brotherhood of Mutants up close?" Gwen asked as she took a washcloth to her chest.

"One of them, really. Some guy who flung around fire. When I asked Cyclops about him, he said the guy was called Pyro." Kitty answered.

Jubilee was silent. Just then, Kitty approached her with a washcloth.

"What do you want?"

"A free wash, maybe?"

"I dunno…"

"Mutual?"

Jubilee nodded as she let Kitty take the washcloth all over her, starting at the face.

"I'm next!" Gwen shouted.

"Wait your turn!" Kitty replied.

Jubilee launched a plasmoid blast from her fingertips, the colors reflecting off the water in a dazzling light show.


	11. Friends of Old

Chapter 11: Friends of Old

Meanwhile, in the X-Men base, Wolverine was scribbling down some notes in his room.

_Morph- status unknown_

_Angel- missing_

_Polaris- status unknown_

Just then, the door hummed open and Cyclops entered.

"So, how have the past 18 months been to you?"

Wolverine sighed as he turned around.

"It's been too long, Scott. Ever since Montreal-"

"What about it?"

"Been looking for the old team, that's what. Morph, Polaris, and Angel."

"Logan, they went their own ways. Last I heard, Morph was in Los Angeles, Polaris was in Kentucky, and Angel's doing his own thing in Vancouver."

Wolverine's eyes went wide.

"You mean to tell me that you _knew_ where they were?"

"Logan, you dropped off our radar after Montreal. We couldn't find you, and you never contacted us-"

"I had my reasons, Scott. We'll continue this in the morning."

And with that, Cyclops was shooed out of Wolverine's room.


	12. Juggernaut- Part 1

Chapter 12: The Juggernaut, Part 1

"Mystique, what are you smoking? Because whatever it is, I can make a hell of a profit off it."

"Shut up, Toad."

The assembled Brotherhood of Mutants, now including the newly christened Mister Roboto (formerly Neil Hansen), stared at Mystique.

"We break out our trump cards."

"As if!" came Pyro's response.

Lady Deathstrike held Pyro by the neck.

"Traitor! Mystique is powerful! Mystique is wise!"

Magneto banged his hand on the conference table.

"Silence, all of you!"

Everyone stopped talking.

"Let Mystique finish. Then you may criticize her."

Mystique cleared her throat.

"As I was saying, we currently have three major trump cards. Deadpool, Sabertooth, and the Juggernaut."

"As in, 'I'm the Juggernaut-'"

"Shut up, Pyro."

"Continue…" Magneto disinterestedly mumbled.

"Anyways, all three are kept in one place: the Raft's ultramaximum security wing."

"So…"

"Yes, we're going to need to get into the lion's den to spring them out. And no, we can't use SHIELD uniforms to get in."

Pyro raised an eyebrow.

"Fury is not an idiot. He not only knows we'll try and break into the Raft, but he's _expecting_ us to do so. That's why the ultramax wing's sealed off to everyone except top-ranking SHIELD personnel."

"And what do you suggest we do to gain access?"

Mystique gestured to a pair of devices on the table.

"My coworkers have taken to calling these 'brain cages'. Put one on someone else- instant obedience to your authority."

"And who are our agents?"

Lady Deathstrike extended her claws and pointed to some photographs on the screen behind Mystique. One was of a redhead in a black vinyl catsuit. The other was of a man in tactical gear with a bow and quiver on his back.

"Meet Black Widow and Hawkeye, your new coworkers."


	13. Juggernaut- Part 2

Chapter 13: The Juggernaut, Part 2

"Any questions?"

Magneto raised his hand.

"Yes, boss?"

"Mystique, have you put any thought into _how_ we are going to find Black Widow and Hawkeye?"

A new image appeared on the screen behind Mystique.

"This is the Center for the Research of Theoretical Physics in Monterey. This is where-"

The image changed to a glowing cuboid.

"-the Tesseract was taken following the Roswell incident."

"And how does this get us any closer to Black Widow and Hawkeye?" Pyro asked.

Mystique rolled her eyes.

"SHIELD put them on security detail there."

"And how do you know this?" Lady Deathstrike asked.

"I have my ways…"

Magneto cleared his throat.

"Yes?" came a unanimous response.

"Let us see if something…doesn't slip through the cracks at Monterey."

And with that, the assembled Brotherhood left.

_Let's see how this goes_. Mystique thought as she left.

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA:

"Welcome to the Monterey Center of Theoretical Physics. I'm Valerie, and you are…"

The receptionist looked up at the looming men in front of her desk.

"I"m Hansen, and the guy next to me is Abernathy."

"You wouldn't happen to be from SHIELD, would you?"

"We are, actually." Hansen answered.

"Security?"

"Yes."

The receptionist rolled her eyes.

"Report to Chief of Security Barton. If he's not there, report to Agent Romanov."

"Got it."

And with that, the two flunkies of the Brotherhood of Mutants entered the facility. A few minutes later, they found themselves in Black Widow's office.

"Miss Romanov, I presume?"

Black Widow looked up from the paperwork on her desk.

"You the new guys?"

Hansen nodded.

"Good. Now then, how about we discuss your new duties over drinks?"

"Are we allowed to do that?" Abernathy asked.

Black Widow raised an eyebrow.

"This is SHIELD. Just as long as you can perform your duties well, they don't exactly care about what you do as long as doesn't interfere with your performance."

And with that, Black Widow produced a bottle of brandy from her desk.

"I'll pour." Hansen offered.

While Black Widow wasn't looking, Hansen removed a small vial from his coat pocket and poured its contents into Black Widow's glass.

"Neil, you done yet? I'm thirsty here."

"Just about."

Hansen turned around and presented the glasses.

"To SHIELD." Black Widow offered, raising her glass.

The three toasted and drank.

"Say…I don't remember it being that strong…" Black Widow began.

"Where'd ya get it from?" Abernathy asked.

"Agent Hansen, you're a good looking piece of beefcake, _da_?"

Suddenly, Black Widow slumped over her desk.

"You take her, Jack. I'll handle Hawkeye."

Jack nodded as he lugged Black Widow out of her office, while Neil went to Hawkeye's office.

"So, new guy?" Hawkeye asked upon meeting Hansen.

"Yeah, that's right, mister Barton."

Hawkeye grinned.

"Call me Clint."

"Clint?"

"We're all brothers and sisters in SHIELD. First name basis."

"Got it."

"So, how about we hit the firing range?"

Hansen nodded as Hawkeye walked him to the facility's firing range.

"Now, at my signal, start shooting those targets."

Neil picked up a tranquilizer pistol and aimed it at the back of Hawkeye's neck.

"So-"

At that moment, Hansen pulled the trigger and sent Hawkeye sprawling to the floor.

"Down."

Back on the Brotherhood's submarine, Mystique put the two captives on hospital beds while she began to set up the "brain cages".

"First, we implant the chips in an arc around the skull…"

Lady Deathstrike extended her claws.

"Luckily, modern medicine has advanced to the point where we can just inject the chips into position."

Lady Deathstrike retracted her claws, a look of disappointment on her face. Mystique readied a syringe, put it to Black Widow's head, and plunged down on it.


	14. Juggernaut- Part 3

Chapter 14: Juggernaut, Part 3

"Good. They're coming around."

Black Widow staggered out of the hospital bed as the haze cleared from her eyes.

"_Govno._"

She looked around her surroundings

"_Chto proiskhodit? Gde ya?_"

A loud groan indicated that Hawkeye was rising from his bed too.

"Natasha, I don't think we're in Monterey anymore." he moaned as he rubbed his eyes.

Just then, the two jolted upwards and Mystique entered with Magneto, Pyro, and Lady Deathstrike.

"Good morning, my new colleagues. You may call me Mystique, and I will be your boss."

"Yes, Mystique." the two Avengers replied, their voices sounding off in perfect unison.

"Is there any way around them speaking like that? It gives me the chills." Magneto piped up.

Mystique began manipulating a small device, and the two captives relaxed their posture.

"That should do it." she muttered.

She ushered the other members of the Brotherhood out before turning to Black Widow and Hawkeye.

"Now then. Your mission is to infiltrate the Raft and release the following prisoners: Deadpool, Sabertooth, and the Juggernaut. Once you are done, you will be picked up by Lady Deathstrike."

The two nodded, and Mystique reached for her cell phone.

"Abernathy, set course for the Raft."


	15. Juggernaut- Part 4

Chapter 15: Juggernaut, Part 4

SEVERAL MILES OFF THE COAST OF NOVA SCOTIA:

"Boat's away!"

"Good. Let's see if they can make it to the Raft without sinking."

Outside, a storm raged around the small "Zodiac" that was carrying Black Widow and Hawkeye as they approached the maximum security prison known as the Raft. The salt spray swept into their eyes as the boat bobbed in the water, while water dripped down their raincoats.

"Maintain heading at 12 knots." Black Widow ordered.

Hawkeye was silent as he adjusted the motor. Just then, they saw the superstructure of their target, looming above the water like some terrible Atlantis rising from the sea.

"Get us closer."

Hawkeye obliged, getting the boat up to the service dock before killing the motor.

"Friend or foe?" a guard asked upon seeing the two.

"Friend." Black Widow lied.

The door to the main prison opened and the two entered into the harsh fluorescent light of the Raft proper.

"Where do you need to go?"

"Ultramax wing."

The guard sighed as he began guiding the two infiltrators to their destination.

"_How is it going?_" Lady Deathstrike asked over Black Widow's headset.

"Fine."

After a few minutes, the three reached the door to the ultramaximum security wing's bulkhead. When it opened, they were greeted by an assembly of the worst of the worst. From their cells, such dangerous inmates as Abomination, Graviton, and Whiplash banged against the thick sheets of quartz that served as the windows into their abodes.

"So, any reason why you wanted to see the freak show?" the guard asked.

No answer came from the two Avengers.

"I think it's polite to answer a-"

Hawkeye grabbed the guard by the throat and knocked him out with a blow to the back of the neck before taking his keycard.

"Catch."

He threw the card to Black Widow, who promptly ran to the bulkhead's control center, swiped the card, and hacked into the Raft's central computer.

"Bye bye, outside world."

And with that, she took down the Raft's external communications systems. Afterwards, she looked at the bulkhead's floor plan and inmate list.

"That's right. Open up these." she muttered.

Three cell doors opened, and three very dangerous prisoners were released.

"Mission accomplished, Mystique. We are ready for extraction."

Hawkeye walked over, the escapees in tow.

"Nice jailbreak there, but I think the writer just pulled that one out of his behind!" a red-suited fellow commented.

"Silence, Deadpool! I have already spent two years too many listening to your deluded babble!" a large man with hair all over his upper body replied.

"Sabertooth, allow me to explain. This is just someone's fanfic, and it's a good one!"

"Both of you, shut the hell up!" a large man with an odd helmet yelled.

"Silence, all of you!" Hawkeye yelled back.

Black Widow finished opening an emergency exit, and the five jumped out into the waters of the North Atlantic.

"Uh, did I forget to mention I can't swim?" Deadpool asked.

"Good! Once you drown, we will no longer have to listen to you! Your rants are like a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing!" the fellow with the helmet retorted.

"First, I'm a fan favorite. The guy writing this can't kill me off! Second, I didn't know you read Shakespeare, Juggernaut."

"Did you ever _ask_ me if I read Shakespeare?"

"SHUT UP!" Sabertooth bellowed.

Just then, Magneto's submarine surfaced, and the five boarded it.

"Welcome back." Mystique deadpanned upon their return.


	16. Juggernaut- Part 5

Chapter 16: Juggernaut, Part 5

TWO DAYS LATER:

A SHIELD helijet landed on the lawn of the X-Mansion and its passenger exited.

"Agent Hill, keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"_Got it, Director Fury_."

Nick Fury adjusted his eyepatch as he approached the mansion door and knocked.

"Come in." a deep female voice announced.

Fury opened the door and entered.

"Nick Fury, I presume?" the voice asked, revealing herself as Storm.

"This is he."

"Business or pleasure?"

"Storm, I don't usually make social visits. I need to see Professor Xavier."

Storm nodded and guided Fury to his meeting.

"Nick, good to see you again!" Professor Xavier exclaimed.

"You too, Professor."

Director Fury took his seat at a conference table, while the other core members of the X-Men filed in.

"Where are the new ones?" Professor Xavier asked.

"They're on their way-"

As if on cue, Jubilee and Kitty Pryde appeared, with a grumpy Gwen Stacy in tow.

"Who's the blonde?" Wolverine asked.

Gwen was silent as she took a seat.

"Now that everyone's here, let's begin the presentation." Professor Xavier announced.

Jean Grey dimmed the lights and pulled down a screen, and the presentation began. Behind Nick Fury's head materialized an image of the Raft.

"Skip it, Director Fury. We all know what the Raft is." Storm mumbled.

The image changed to that of Black Widow and Hawkeye.

"We know who they are."

The image changed to a brief video clip of the Raft breakout.

"What's that?" Rogue asked.

"That, Rogue, is what happened two days ago. The Raft was compromised, and these two-"

Fury pointed to the superimposed images of Black Widow and Hawkeye.

"-sprang three of the worst inmates from the ultramax wing."

Wolverine's hand shot up.

"Which three?"

The video disappeared and was replaced by three mugshots. The X-Men were stunned.

"Any questions?" Fury asked after the presentation concluded.

Cyclops raised his hand.

"Yes, Mister Summers?"

"What about Romanov and Barton?"

"I want them alive, but I'll take them dead if necessary."

"Acknowledged."

Cyclops and most of the other X-Men filed out, leaving Professor Xavier alone with Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, Nick Fury, and Gwen Stacy.

"So who are you?" Professor Xavier asked, pointing at Gwen.

"Gwendolyn Stacy."

A quizzical look appeared on the professor's face.

"You're not a mutant. Why are you here?"

"Jubilee's got an iron grip-"

Professor Xavier turned to Jubilee.

"She's my roommate, Professor. I thought that since she, you know, helped us with Tijuana-"

Professor Xavier reached for a tablet and looked at the student records.

"So what do we do with her?" Kitty asked.

The professor paused.

"Well, she already knows everything." he muttered.

Gwen bit her nails.

"I…suppose we can let her work with us."

Gwen gave a sigh of relief.

"Now then, where'd Wolverine put that mop?"

Jubilee and Kitty shrugged.


	17. Juggernaut- Part 6

Chapter 17: Juggernaut, Part 6

While this was going on, Nick Fury grabbed his cell phone and dialed.

"Stark, rally up the team. Barton and Romanov have gone rogue."

"_Is that all you're going to say, sir?_"

"I'll brief you shortly. Report to Xavier's School for the Gifted ASAP."

STARK TOWER:

"Yeah, give me the full list. Bruce, Steve, Hank, Janet, Colonel Rhodes- no, leave Wanda and her brother out of this."

"_Will that be all, sir?_" a computerized voice asked.

"Yes, Jarvis. That's all."

"_Calling_."

GROOM LAKE AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA:

"Colonel Rhodes? Telephone."

"Give it to me."

The page handed the ringing phone over to Colonel James Rhodes.

"Hello?"

"_Rhodey, it's time to saddle up. Barton and Romanov have gone rogue._"

Colonel Rhodes hung up.

"Tell the brass I'm on extended leave."

The page nodded and left.

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA:

"Eggs. Milk. Bread. Sedatives." the grocery clerk read.

Bruce Banner rolled his eyes as the checkout line inched along. Just then, his cell rang.

"Bruce Banner speaking. If this is a robo-call, then Hulk smash."

"_Very droll, Bruce. When's the soonest you can get back to stateside?_"

"It'll be a day or two, Tony…"

"_We don't have a day or two. Clint and Natasha have gone rogue._"

"I'll be there soon as I can."

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH:

"Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne."

"_Yeah, you two better get to New York. Two of our own are rogue."_

BROOKLYN:

"Steve Rogers."

_"Cap, we've got a problem. Meet me at Xavier's School for the Gifted._"

Within hours, the various members of the Avengers were en route to the rendezvous point.


End file.
